If at the beginning of 2023 the Silver Arrows had seemed anything but competitive, the same thing cannot be said for the season finale, where George Russell and Lewis Hamilton gave show of strength and to have returned to a much higher level. It is with these premises that Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team has decided to face 2023, launching himself into the global challenge with a clear objective: to return to the top. And, on George Russell's twenty-fifth birthday, Mercedes presents its new single-seater: the Mercedes AMG F1 W14. What has changed compared to 2022? Let's see it in detail.
Livery: The W14 returns to black due to weight
If in 2021 the Brixworth team had a livery that went from black to gray, in 2022 it was back to the classic silver. The styling choice underwent a change in 2023, with a return to black on the livery of the W14. To quote Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” for the house of the three-pointed star. The reasons are many, but the most important is the admission by the Team Principal and CEO, Toto wolff, of the attempt to limit every possible gram from a limit weight point of view. The stars on the hood are kept, in silver, and there is a black vinyl on the top of the car. Coming down to the sides, the car was kept all in carbon fibre, thus lightening the weight to meet the limit.
Technical side: clear evolution of the W13
It is obvious that for all the analyses, we will have to wait to see it on the track for the first time or, more likely, at the first Grand Prix of the year. At the moment we can underline the evolution of the single-seater with a lot of style similar to 2022, although there are some revisions on the bottom and muzzle. The back of the halo, on the hood, appears to have bulges to channel air in one direction. As a solution, it is minimally reminiscent of the hollowed-out Ferrari bellies, albeit smaller and raised. Speaking of the bellies, Mercedes has kept the philosophy with almost no sidepods, with a view to continuity with the work started in 2022.
Of all the cars seen so far, this is certainly the most aggressive, just as the two drivers are hungry for world success. We are confident that we will see some good ones on track, with the season starting in just 18 days.
